Motor vehicle rearview mirror

• US 5,844,721 A
• Filed: 05/27/1997
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daniel Nathan Karpen
• Original Assignee: Daniel Nathan Karpen
• Inventors: Karpen, Daniel Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Spyrou, Cassandra C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US08/863,325
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 359/621, 359/603, 359/884, 359/885, 362/293, 313/111, 313/112, 313/113
• US Class Current: 359/603
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/083 Anti-glare mirrors, e.g. "day-night" mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/06 with metals C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/256 Ag
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/095 containing rare earths
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/26 Reflecting filters G02B5/28 takes precedence

Abstract

A rearview mirror suitable for use as a rearview mirror for land, water and aircraft and motor vehicles in particular. The glass mirror includes glass containing Neodymium Oxide, a rare earth compound. The Neodymium Oxide filters out the naturally occurring yellow light produced by a hot incandescent filament, thereby producing a color-corrected light. Yellow light contributes to a lack of contrast. Improvement in contrast permits, for example, a motor vehicle driver to better discriminate the contrast of objects when there is no daylight and the only illumination is artificial. For drivers, in particular, elimination of the excessive yellow light lessens eyestrain currently resulting from light emitted by the conventional headlights of vehicles in the rearview mirror during hours of darkness. Additionally, the Neodymium Oxide in the glass will filter out the yellow light from the rising or setting sun in the rearview mirror.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror for motor vehicles, which reduces visual discomfort and eyestrain, and improves color recognition, by reducing the amount of reflected yellow light in the range of 565 to 595 manometers, consisting of:

a pane of glass having a back surface and a front surface;

a silvered reflective surface on said back surface of said pane of glass; and

said pane of glass consisting of glass having the compound Neodymium Oxide throughout in a concentration by weight from greater than 5% to about 20%;

said pane of glass being 0.5 to 4.0 millimeter thickness to have transmission properties absorbing up to 95% to 98% of the reflected spectral energy of light of the wavelengths between 565 and 595 manometers as light is being transmitted from said front surface of the said pane of glass to the said silvered reflective surface on the back of said pane of glass, reflected and being transmitted back to the front of the glass surface of said pane of glass and back to the eye where it can be seen.